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Comment

did the mantinence guy tell you if it is the return or not is it graded..? i don't see why you couldn't use a tee..? i repaired a few copper steam leaks in the past it will a ***** to drain to make solder joints.. is this in the city..?

No, and I didn't think to ask as I was half way planning on doing the entire repair in propress, but with no 3" wye I was back to thinking about cxc swett.

Oakland/Berkeley border

Greg

Comment

My part to the job (if I take it) would be repairing the failed joints. The facilities maintenance guy knows the ins and outs of the system, but can't solder the 3". I openly admitted to the client that I had no experience with steam systems, his response was that he knows the system and just needs someone that can solder large diameter copper.

I have been contemplating punting on the job since I walked it (Friday) because of the lack of knowledge of the system.

Greg

Don't run from this job. You are only replacing joints. Ask questions I will help if you need it. Steam is tricky but you can do it if you replace whats there if it is currently working without kinks.

First off you let the customer know that copper piping is really not the correct pipe for a steam system. Put that in your contract. Secondly if the wye fitting is of iron pipe or cast leave it where it is and just adapt to it with the proper adapters. There is a reason that it is a wye and not a tee. It may be a counter-flow system where the steam and condensate use the same pipe but flow in different directions.

Check out Dan Holohans site www.heatinghelp.com Dan is the steam guru and is the best out there. Dont give up on this job.

Comment

A picture would be nice, however you can replace the wye with a tee fitting. The only reason to use a wye on steam (and it's usually a c.i. fitting) would be for a sediment trap with the branch down and plugged or capped. they probably just used what was on the truck at the time. Remember that steam leaves the boiler under pressure, and moves throughout the piping in the same way that air would.
Fitting direction has little effect.

Comment

don't know about no stream fitters license. We don't have em here. Don't even have to be a licensed plumber to work on steam ( or heat for that matter) Not many steam guys around anymore. I started off my career installing, servicing and piping high pressure process boilers.

Comment

My part to the job (if I take it) would be repairing the failed joints. The facilities maintenance guy knows the ins and outs of the system, but can't solder the 3". I openly admitted to the client that I had no experience with steam systems, his response was that he knows the system and just needs someone that can solder large diameter copper.

I have been contemplating punting on the job since I walked it (Friday) because of the lack of knowledge of the system.

Greg

If you do end up doing this in copper, I would SilFos, not solder... I've done jobs that were only atmospheric pressure steam lines, but had to be silver soldered